The Accursed Paw of the Monkey
by mayara-2007
Summary: I did this as 9th grade English assignment(MRS. WALTERS IS DA BOMB!)that was based on this short story we read called "The Monkey's Paw" or something. Hope you like it. (oh an FYI: I got an A)


I sat perched on the rooftop overlooking the city. I had sat here many a night. I inhaled the last on my cigarette and flicked it over the edge as I exhaled the fumes into the cold of the night. I looked down at the midnight hour traffic, horns honking in every direction and lights flashing as they turned a corner. The pale crescent moon came out from behind a cloud and luminated my face. My name is Natalie Jones, or at least it was until the people of this city started to call me the Reaper of Souls. Tonight was a special night. It was the anniversary of the night I found the cursed monkey's paw and the night that would change me forever.

I had been watching the rush hour traffic from the rooftop of the apartment complex I lived in for hours. I was fascinated by how quickly the lights flashed at the breakneck pace. I peered over the edge to the sidewalks below. That was when I saw the most peculiar thing. A man, not much older than me, was hurriedly walking down the streets to the alley next to me. Enthralled, I climbed down from my hiding spot and curiously cocked my heading his direction, while remaining in the shadows oblivious to him. I watched him fumble with something in his hands nervously and watched him eye the crowd in the streets with an almost paranoid glance. He seemed to have made up his mind and threw it into the trashcan next to him. Watching him stumble away, the steam from the vent below enveloped my face. Curious, I walked over and peered in but jumped back in fright for what lay there was an old, mummified monkey's paw. It lay there, all twisted in a wretched way. I was horrified, yet enchanted all the more. Rummaging around in the dark, I managed to find a stick and began to jab it a couple of times to see if it moved. Of course, it did not. I laughed at myself for being so paranoid. Picking it up, I climbed back up to my hiding spot, away from the world with my new found treasure. As I climbed, I realized that it was harder than usual, for that tiny monkey's paw was a large burden of some sort. As soon as I was all the way up, I began to study it. I had never heard the complete tale but had heard that it did grant you one wish, so I automatically assumed that it was good luck. Knowing that it was silly of me to believe in fairy tales, I sat tossing that mangled little thing back and forth between my hands. I began to wonder if this was the real deal. I sat with my arm hanging loosely over my knee, the little hand still clutched in my fist. If this paw did grant wishes, and I did have my doubts, then I could wish to become a vampire, like one of Anne Rice's characters. I could also wish to be rich and famous, or to make amends with an old friend. I sighed. It this was the real thing, I would have a lot of thinking to do. Feeling childish, I set it down and began to look at the stars in the sky gleaming ever so lightly in the dark. Slowly getting up, I grabbed the paw and walked down the stairs to my room, which was only a few floors down.

I ran to the bathroom and hurriedly lifted the toilet seat up and threw up. I had only been asleep for a few hours, and had woken up not feeling all to well. I flushed the toilet and rinsed my mouth out. I gulped and felt another surge of sickness sweep over me and leaned over the toilet. Putting my arm on the edge of the bowl, I looked at my watch. It was 6:17 A.M. I sighed and let my head fall on my arm and instantaneously fall asleep.

The next night had come and I had just woke up in time to see the sun set off its final rays. I had slept all day and was craving something of which I was not quite sure. I walked to the fridge and nearly choked on the glass of milk I had just tried to drink.

"That's strange…" I said, looking at the date printed on the side of the carton and smelling the milk in my glass. I shrugged it off. Still craving that something, I walked into the bathroom and turned on the lights. I looked at myself in the mirror funny, for I was deathly pale and had little color to my cheeks. Examining myself more closely, I jumped back in fright having seen my eyes flash a bright green color and managed to cut myself in the process. I looked down at my palm where the luscious red blood was gushing out. I blinked once. I blinked twice. I finally could not resist the temptation any longer and brought my hand to my lips. Oh, the moment the blood touched my lips, I knew what I had been craving! The moment the salty, red blood touched my tongue, a warmth that I had never experienced before surged through my body. The blood stopped flowing, and I ceased to suck on my palm anymore when I noticed my body was shuddering violently. That was when I noticed the wound began to close at a rapid rate. My cut was healing very fast and in less than a minute, it had completely closed and had left no trace that I ever did have one there. Looking into the mirror again, my mouth gaping wide in shock, I noticed two tiny fangs protruding from my canine teeth. I screamed a most dreadful scream, one that was not of this earth, but seemed as though it came from hell itself.

"This has got to be a dream! It cannot be real!" I exclaimed throwing myself against the wall in the horror that had struck me with such a force that I did no know what to believe any longer. I stormed out of the room, grabbed the paw, and flung it at the mirror. Shards of glass went flying when the paw struck it. I walked in cautiously, not sure of what would happen. Carefully, I looked into the sink where the paw had landed. Not a scratch. Not one damn scratch. I was hysterical. I paced the room and finally slunk against the wall, blood tears coursing down my pale, porcelain face. Wiping my eyes, I half-heartedly grabbed the paw and held it limply in my hands as I cleaned my face from the stains and walked up to the roof. The wind blew my dark hair into my eyes, and I could hear sirens in the distance. I looked down into the alley and jumped from the four-story building. Landing lightly in the steam-filled alley below, I peered around. Throwing the paw into the trashcan, I heard it land with a loud clang as it hit the bottom. Having done my business, I jumped back onto the ladder and began to make my decent to the rest of my life living in the shadows of the world. I could never see another sunrise again. I could never be with the ones I loved. I would spend the rest of my new immortal life killing people that did not deserve to die, for that is the way of the vampire.


End file.
